2012 shelby gt500 vs 2009 bmw m3

[svtsupersnake]

So I am wondering cuz i am debating between these 2 cars for the one I am going to buy. What are people's opinions on this. Which car is better? Yes i know they come from 2 different worlds but you can still compare them. Comparison wise i am looking towards comfortability, power, speed, looks, smoothness on the road, etc.... Since either car would be a daily driver car. When i looked around online they are pretty much also the same price at 50k at least an 09 with low miles i saw one for 50k. So what car would you guys choose. Plus as far as I know without getting into too much money the only thing really to do on an m3 is tune intake exhaust and blow off valve. idk where that would put it hp wise.

 

[slocum1946]

GT500 > M3...others will explain why...

 

[adidasUNT8]

modding a M3 gets crazy expensive... modding a GT500 is relatively inexpensive and you can get huge power gains from them. You would have lower miles and a longer warranty on the GT500 as well. There are guys on here that have had both and I'm sure they will chime in and explain better...

 

[IA Shelby]

So I am wondering cuz i am debating between these 2 cars for the one I am going to buy. What are people's opinions on this. Which car is better? Yes i know they come from 2 different worlds but you can still compare them. Comparison wise i am looking towards comfortability, power, speed, looks, smoothness on the road, etc.... Since either car would be a daily driver car. When i looked around online they are pretty much also the same price at 50k at least an 09 with low miles i saw one for 50k. So what car would you guys choose. Plus as far as I know without getting into too much money the only thing really to do on an m3 is tune intake exhaust and blow off valve. idk where that would put it hp wise.

What answer did you expect you would get on SVTperformance forum?

Most that have a newer GT500 could afford an M3 and we still choose the GT500.

 

[slocum1946]

What answer did you expect you would get on SVTperformance forum?

Most that have a newer GT500 could afford an M3 and we still choose the GT500.

amen

 

[svtsupersnake]

lol well i know since this is an svt forum that ppl would favor the gt500 i like the gt500 more too i just want to make sure this is probably the best car i can get for around 50k

 

[breoland]

depends on what you are looking for. if its a daily driver and luxury is what you are looking for, then bmw may suit your needs, but if its a muscle car that you want with uncontrolable power that wouldnt be much fun in the rain or really cold days.

 

[BOD89LX]

Well you could get a 2012 GT for mid 30's and have a car on par with the M3. I would take the GT500 hands down they make power from idle to redline and if you get the SVTPP it will make a great track car as well. The service cost on the BMW are very high as well.

 

[svtsupersnake]

yea idk to be honest if i could get any car i'd just get a gtr or sl 63 and be done wit it but like i think the mustang looks nicer but i hear the m3 is a smoother car to drive. Also i like the recaro seats that come wit the shelbys now but i heard they arent that comfortable like they r stiff. And i know with a shelby if i do the exhaust pulley tune and intake i can get it at like 550 rwhp though i probably will never use that being a daily driver. The m3 i could get to like 400 450 rwhp? I think with tune exhaust and intake and blow off valve. So i am just wondering which would be overall better. plus also this car i need it to last like 10 years it needs to be able to ride smooth through out this time.

 

[PARTSDUDE]

The M3 is a very comfortable sports car. Your grandmother coud drive it. The GT500 is pure muscle. Stock 500 ish HP in the G500 should not be driven by your grandmother. Yes. I have had them both. My M3 was an 08.

 

[svtsupersnake]

which did u like better?

 

[buck24]

I have a 2011 GT500, my dad has an 08 M3. It's very hard to compare, I love them both but they are two very different cars; a scalpel to a sledgehammer. From my experience, the steering feel and feedback you get from the M3 is better than the GT500, the chassis lets you know what's happening. You can get around a track faster in a GT500 but the times we see aren't your average drivers. The M3 isn't exciting unless your above 6500 rpms and with it's 295 ftlb torque it is not nearly as fun on the street, you need to be winding the hell out of it to get performance. GT500 is a beast everywhere in the rev range and in my opinion much more fun to drive because of it, it's a damn beast and it's intoxicating.

The interior on the M3 if you get it fully loaded with extended leather is very nice and a step above the GT500 but not leaps and bounds better. Drive both, looks are subjective, and pick which is more fun for you most importantly.

Hope this helps

 

[TVLA147]

blow off valve on an m3?

 

[svtsupersnake]

well that helped i guess for me the deciding factor would be just which is more fun to drive on the street. I would leaning towards the shelby being more fun

 

[evasive]

I used to own an E46 M3. Nice car and fun to drive...much nicer inside than the GT500 IMHO. I left mine stock and enjoyed it.

That being said, I missed the torque and I like to mod my cars. Since I needed a back seat, a C6 Z06 was off the list and I ended up with the GT500.

You just need to figure out what you want and buy it. Two very different cars.

 

[GT500RedStripe]

What did they say on the BMW forum?

 

[GetBlown2k3]

Your sig says your in MD.... I dont know how good a GT500 would be in the winter with the snow.

 

[heatsoaked12]

Muscle or finesse, its up to you of coarse. A few reasons I chose the gt500 over the M3,Z06,GTR are: easily make 650 plus hp, take my family to the park in that 650 plus hp car and there isn't a Mr.Z06,MR.m3 or Mr.GTR but there is a Mr Shelby and I like the collector aspect of these cars. I was recently at a party where there was a 100k lexus that nobody paid any attention to because my car was parked beside it:burnout:

 

[cjgt500]

I have a 2011 GT500, my dad has an 08 M3. It's very hard to compare, I love them both but they are two very different cars; a scalpel to a sledgehammer. From my experience, the steering feel and feedback you get from the M3 is better than the GT500, the chassis lets you know what's happening. You can get around a track faster in a GT500 but the times we see aren't your average drivers. The M3 isn't exciting unless your above 6500 rpms and with it's 295 ftlb torque it is not nearly as fun on the street, you need to be winding the hell out of it to get performance. GT500 is a beast everywhere in the rev range and in my opinion much more fun to drive because of it, it's a damn beast and it's intoxicating.

The interior on the M3 if you get it fully loaded with extended leather is very nice and a step above the GT500 but not leaps and bounds better. Drive both, looks are subjective, and pick which is more fun for you most importantly.

Hope this helps

Hmm I wonder where you got that comparison :lol: uhh maybe on another forum.....;-) See my post below as the same question was posed maybe by the OP in another forum.

Or all just a funny coincidence:shrug:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Funny so many have made the same comparison that I was before deciding on purchasing the GT500. While I am a real big fan of German engineering comparing the M3 to a GT500 is like a scalpel to a sledge hammer! The GT500 gets the nod with both fun factor and ease to mod. Now the rumored tri turbo 2015 M3 I may just have to sign up for that. Probably won't get rid of the GT500 though."

 

[Daffy]

Well I've had 7 BMWs, 3 M's. Had an M3 and a 335 up til this year. Had 6 stangs, my current in my sig. I've gone from loving BMWs to thinking they are OK, reliability is in the toilet on them & I say this not as opinion but from experience. A post above says if you're doing a DD then BMW .. I say the opposite, I would never have a BMW DD, they are plagued with issues & visits to the dealer. Never own one without a warranty or god help you. BMWs aren't what they used to be in the 80's, turning 300K mile odometers with ultimate performance, now it's electrical gremlins, fuel pump failures, endless TSBs, seat malfunctions, I could go on & on, and none of mine saw over 40K mis or daily driving.

I road course my GT500, and have been on track with current model M3's twice, both times I passed them without issue & left them well off in the distance somewhere. Of course driver skill is one thing, but the GT500 is quite the car. I love it, I find it amazing and have chosen it over my Gen4 Viper several times now when heading to the road course. But... bottomline you really should try to see which one makes you love it. It's plenty of $ either way, even if you get a great deal, so no matter what anyone thinks, you can argue any car good or bad, it's about what you love most .. pick it & go for it.

D.